We hosted our first (small) dinner party in our new home about a month ago. Because the focus was primarily on the gathering of people (and because we had an almost equal number of children to adults), we kept the dinner simple and summery- a variety of salads with ice cream for dessert. What we did choose to spend more time curating was our pre-dinner cocktail, as we have grown to appreciate the flavors and preparation of thoughtful cocktails more and more over the years.

Inspired by our bounty of mint growing in the yard and, more importantly, a lovely pair of handcrafted Moscow Mule copper mugs gifted to me by the online retailer, Moscow Muled, we decided to do a spinoff of a traditional Moscow Mule and to mix a cocktail with plenty of mint, a splash of bubbly, and just the right tang from a fresh lime. It was perfect for an evening summer gathering paired with light foods.

The Montauk Mule

Ingredients:

2 shots vodka (we used Tito's but choose your favorite)

3 sugar cubes

1 shot fresh lime juice (and extra lime wedges to garnish)

3 sprigs of fresh mint (plus extra to garnish)

Prosecco

Preparation:

Add the sugar cubes, lime juice, and mint sprigs to a cocktail shaker.

Muddle the ingredients in the bottom of the shaker until thoroughly crushed and most of the sugar has dissolved.

Add the vodka shots and ice cubes to just above the level of the liquid and shake vigorously for 10-20 seconds.

Strain mixture into 2 Moscow Mule mugs containing several large cubes of ice and then top the mugs off with Prosecco. Garnish with a lime wedge and mint sprig.

Recipe Adapted from Shake: A New Perspective on Cocktails

A few fun facts about Moscow Muled's copper mugs that makes them different than other copper mugs on the market:

-- All of their copper mugs are made of 100% pure high-grade and food-safe copper. In order to protect your health, the interior of our copper mugs are lined with a layer of high-grade nickel.

From their website: "It’s very important that your copper mug is lined with nickel. That’s because copper is a heavy metal that reacts with acidic fluids such as cocktail ingredients. If you use a copper mug that is not lined with nickel, the acidic fluids in your drink will cause a chemical reaction which may cause you to ingest too much copper, leading to an unhealthy and potentially dangerous concentration of copper in your body.

Unfortunately, many manufacturers that sell copper mugs without any nickel lining fail to warn their customers about the potential health consequences. In order to avoid negative health effects for you and your friends and family, please make sure to only use copper mugs that are plated with nickel on the inside.

The nickel lining in our copper mugs also has an added functional benefit. Because copper is a very soft metal, it can become damaged by repeated use. Nickel plating increases the strength and durability of your copper mug and greatly extends its life!"

-- They donate 15% of profits to several non-profit organizations that work to stop impaired driving. As a result, your purchase of our copper mugs can help safe lives.

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